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4/29/08: 14 runs worth of DLD

Smiley-face_tiny by gigglingone on

Hot diggity, last night's game was fun to watch.  In no particular order, here are 14 snazzy links, one for each run we scored last night...

1. Geren likes a deep bench.

Geren mentioned recently that he knows that closer Huston Street can play the outfield if needed because he's watched Street shag flyballs during batting practice, and he's terrific.

2. Frank Thomas is a speed demon on the basepaths

Chad Gaudin, the A's starter Monday, agreed, saying, "That was priceless. I don't think I saw him beat one out in 2006, much less triple. He told me a couple of days ago, 'I can run now,' and I said, 'Really? After 15 years, all of a sudden you can run now?' It's impressive."

Star-divide

3. Zito has a new home

"I’m certainly not happy with it, by any means," Zito said. "But this is the bed that I’ve made. I have to lay in it for the time being and I have to overcome. I trust management and I trust what their decisions are."

4. And now the Chronicle is mocking Zito

How many years would it take for you to make what Zito makes in one year? And most importantly, just how many orders of garlic fries or bobbleheads does that buy?

5. ESPN hates the West Coast

Their top stories in baseball.....

Seriously, Clemens, Yankees, Mets, Yankees, Braves, Oh look, there's this guy in Arizona, oh and the A's score eight runs in an inning, but then back to this Cleveland guy who is playing against the Yankees.....blah....and that's why espn rarely gets linkage in the DLD....

And now for some other sports....

6. You're kidding me, a 2009 Mock NFL Draft? Already???

Bad news for local fans - it has the Raiders at #2, and the Niners at #7.

7. The Sharks play tonight at 4:30 on CSNBA

Here's hoping that they'll go into overtime and knock the Giants onto CSNBA+. Then it will be their fans that have to search for the darn channel....

8. Want to see that triple again? Sweet.....

9. Wow, 14 links is a lot. In looking for more links, I found this . And it scared me.

10. You can read all about the pitchers for tonight here.

11. And while you're there, check out the standings. Awesome. (ESPN must have put this together - East-Central-West....why isn't the West first?!?!!?)

12. Wow, now I know how Frank must've felt running around the bases....

13. I'm so not in to this, but everyone on my bus this morning was talking about it....

14. By the way, this entire post was put together during my drop in hours. Proof that all we do is sit around popping bubble wrap and waiting for students to come by. (If my bosses are reading this, don't worry, I was doing work, lots of work, this took no time at all, really......)

 

 

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Okey dokey

I deleted mine—I think.

Mine sucked. :-)

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

--Bilbo Baggins

by kaweahkaweah on Apr 29, 2008 9:53 AM PDT   0 recs

every DLD is a good DLD

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on Apr 29, 2008 9:57 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Well I'm sorry to the two who posted something

on the dead DLD.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

--Bilbo Baggins

by kaweahkaweah on Apr 29, 2008 10:00 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

They'll survive

We scored 14 runs last night!!!!

There's no crying in baseball!

by gigglingone on Apr 29, 2008 10:02 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

AND the best record in the AL.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

--Bilbo Baggins

by kaweahkaweah on Apr 29, 2008 10:16 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

..the hell? Blast!

I gotta post my link again.

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 29, 2008 12:25 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Looks like FSU got it.

Sweet!

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 29, 2008 12:26 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, it did.

"Hasn’t the foggiest inclination toward winning ‘tall. Hates to win. Likes to be buggered."

by Jennifer on Apr 29, 2008 9:59 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

No, you suck.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

--Bilbo Baggins

by kaweahkaweah on Apr 29, 2008 10:01 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

damn roster shuffling ruining Pecs public appearance schedule.

Yesterday KFRC had an ad saying you could meet Dinardo at the Hall of Science “Speed” exhibit, and he was listed as a featured guest on May 3rd. Alas, today he has been replaced by Dana Eveland, though I think Rajai Davis might be a better choice.

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on Apr 29, 2008 9:54 AM PDT   0 recs

Guess what today is!!!!

There's no crying in baseball!

by gigglingone on Apr 29, 2008 10:01 AM PDT   0 recs

Ugh.

That’s how I feel about today so far.

The kings remain missing, so they're playing with Eric Chavez Bobbleheads. "Chavvy does have six Gold Gloves," Brown explained. "That's good enough to be king."

by pam5981 on Apr 29, 2008 10:15 AM PDT   0 recs

Besides Free Cone Day

it’s also the 25th anniversary of Lee Elia’s classic harangue about the 15% of Chicagoans who were out at Wrigley for weekday afternoon games ragging on his team (as opposed to the 85% who were earning a living). All-time record for most f-bombs in a 3-minute monologue.

The audio is so NSFW that I won’t link, but just Google “Lee Elia rant” if you want to hear it.

by Soaker on Apr 29, 2008 10:18 AM PDT   0 recs

Repost Jedi Leroy's Unfortunate logo link

From the old dump, aka “The DLD Vanishes.”

Bad British logo.

My favorite part:

“It is not inappropriate to an organisation that’s looking to have a firm grip on Government spend”


There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Apr 29, 2008 10:21 AM PDT   0 recs

I recommend

the “In pictures: Disastrous logo designs” link on that page. The “Pagoda Against a Setting Sun” logo pretty much knocked me off my chair.

by Soaker on Apr 29, 2008 10:26 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I just about died on that one

Though I can’t for the life of me see the “Simpsons” one

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 29, 2008 12:30 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Can you post the link?

I can’t find it apparently I am lame

by jeffro on Apr 29, 2008 1:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Here

In pictures: Disastrous logo designs

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 29, 2008 1:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Thanks

It took my slow brain a minute to get the computer doctor one.

I can’t believe no one noticed how those thigns looked. Is that a classic case of Group Think or what?

by jeffro on Apr 29, 2008 3:29 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I have yet to find the saturation point

beyond which I am no longer interested in bad news for Roger Clemens.

The allegations, according to the Daily News, claim Clemens was 28 when he first had contact with McCready. She was 15 when he noticed her at a Fort Myers, Fla., bar while out with his Red Sox teammates, according to the Daily News.

In its story Monday night, sources told the Daily News that McCready went with Clemens to his hotel room in Fort Myers, Fla., after their first meeting but that they did not have sex. The relationship turned intimate after she later moved to Nashville and became a country star, the paper said.

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Apr 29, 2008 10:23 AM PDT   0 recs

No wonder his wife was on HGH.

She was bulking up to kick that kid’s ass.

Notes From The Nat has a new home: http://www.natnotes.com

by Ozzz on Apr 29, 2008 11:08 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

if only the Germans had detained a guy codenamed "Fastball"

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 29, 2008 1:57 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You think your schedule is insane

Get a load of Johnny Dawkins’ itinerary in his first week as the Stanford head coach.

By my estimate, in six calendar days starting last Friday and running through tomorrow, he will have taken 9 flights (not counting connections), flown approximately 16,000 miles and spent about 33 hours actually in airplanes.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 29, 2008 10:44 AM PDT   0 recs

9th Inning Flexibility

Tonight, I’d like to see Geren close out the game using the following method:

VLAD: Bring in Street
Kotchman: Bring in Embree, Play Street in LF, Exit Emil Brown
Torii Hunter: Replace Embree w/ Street, Denorfia in LF

Game. Set. Match.

by Colorado Fan on Apr 29, 2008 11:09 AM PDT   0 recs

Can't

once you remove a pitcher from the mound you can’t bring him back in to pitch again (assuming I’m following that as a series of events and not just a list of who should face who).

In search of a new signature. Say something funny and you may see your comment here!

by DMOAS on Apr 29, 2008 11:33 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Sure you can

It happened this year, didn’t it?

by mikev on Apr 29, 2008 11:35 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Incorrect.

As long he is not taken out of the game, a pitcher may leave the mound and pitch again.

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Apr 29, 2008 11:37 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

How do mound visits affect

this rule? Is the pitcher charged with the same number as the guy he relieves if the old pitcher becomes a position player?

"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer

by alox on Apr 29, 2008 12:05 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Could have sworn i've read a rule that expressly prohibits that

but then since i can’t find it, i could easily be wrong.

In search of a new signature. Say something funny and you may see your comment here!

by DMOAS on Apr 29, 2008 12:16 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

It looks like you can't keep shuffling back and forth, though
Rule 3.03 Comment: A pitcher may change to another position only once during the same inning;
e.g. the pitcher will not be allowed to assume a position other than a pitcher more than once in the same
inning.

by Soaker on Apr 29, 2008 12:31 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

"Not allowed to assume a position"

I guess this means Street cannot get both the save and the “hold.”

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Apr 29, 2008 2:10 PM PDT to parent up   1 recs

changing positions is fine

Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.

by mrrickyg on Apr 29, 2008 11:44 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

If that happened...

Would Street get a save and a hold?

by HigherPie on Apr 29, 2008 12:29 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

What does the last one

have to do with Rome burning?

by jeffro on Apr 29, 2008 11:30 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I've always used "Rome is burning" as sort of an all-purpose "everything is going to hell in a handbasket" lament.

Like, every time I accidentally flip to MSNBC, or contemplate the popularity of The Surreal Life, or sit through a meeting where none of the PowerPoint slides have any words on them and some airbrushed Treo-clutching Project Manager says “synergy” four times in the span of three sentences.

Or, as above, stumble upon yet more evidence of the omnipresent continuous partial attention quagmire. (I should probably just call it “apathy”, but I’m trying to sound sophisticated)

by 74mk on Apr 29, 2008 1:35 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Alas Babylon...

"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer

by alox on Apr 29, 2008 2:12 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Got it

I was thinking of Jim Everett slapping Jim Rome when I read that for some reason.

by jeffro on Apr 29, 2008 3:31 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

More Jack Cust! Sweet!

From his player page, we now know the following:

1. He still chases very rarely, but he’s chased a few more pitches so far this season.
2. He’s taking a lot more pitches inside the strike zone this year.
3. His contact percentage has dropped a bit, and it was terrible to begin with.
4. Pitchers are slightly more aggressive to him this year than last year, because he’s slumping.

Looks like he needs to up his aggressiveness at the plate somewhat.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 29, 2008 11:32 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Frank Thomas has swung at substantially fewer outside-the-zone pitches this year. I have no idea what that indicates, if anything.

Interesting also to see Emil Brown steadily develop (or devolve?) into a markedly less selective hitter from 2005 to present.

by 74mk on Apr 29, 2008 1:37 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

It's a Ziggy!

Chiba Lotte lost simultaneously in the fighter plane of the Japanese ham.

by JediLeroy on Apr 29, 2008 12:35 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Zito discussion.

Who’s this mikeA?

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Apr 29, 2008 11:31 AM PDT   0 recs

National A's coverage
“I haven’t spoken with the skipper yet, but that’s fine,” Sweeney says. “The reason I came back to play this year is to be a part of a winning team. I have no control over the lineup. I’m going to encourage my teammates, be a leader and be ready when called on.

“We built too good a thing this spring training to ruin it. And I’m thrilled to play with a future Hall of Famer.”

You don’t need chemistry to win, and chemistry doesn’t guarantee winning. But having team players helps, and Sweeney has been nothing if not pleasant (publically) while being (publically) a good influence on the younger players. I don’t know if he’s helping, but – apart from the roster space – is he really hurting that much?

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Apr 29, 2008 11:35 AM PDT   0 recs

Barton might be moving to the OF

at the expense of Cust but in an effort to get Sweeney more at bats.

by methodrampage on Apr 29, 2008 12:08 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Because Barton's ability to catch pop ups

has been a fantastic, right?

In search of a new signature. Say something funny and you may see your comment here!

by DMOAS on Apr 29, 2008 12:17 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

As has Cust's, right?

Between Cust, Barton, and M. Sweeney, Cust is hitting the least. Just don’t be suprised when it happens and you heard it here first.

by methodrampage on Apr 29, 2008 2:52 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

... in three seasons when Sean Doolittle comes up...

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 29, 2008 12:42 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm optimistic

and hoping that Chris Carter will be DHing.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 30, 2008 12:23 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

i know zero of carter's defense

is it barton-esque?

Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.

by mrrickyg on Apr 30, 2008 12:26 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Barton's defense is just fine

Above average range for 1B, and the glove will improve. He will be in the top half of the defensive rankings at 1B at the end of the year. Book it.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 30, 2008 2:28 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

1. He looks good to me out there. Good range and good at fielding grounders. He won’t keep dropping popups.

2. These are not especially good metrics, and it’s way too early in the season for them, but:
ZR:
7th out of 29.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fielding?groupId=9&season=2008&seasonType=2&split=79&sortColumn=zoneRating
RZR:
4th out of 27.
Tied for 6th out of 27 in out of zone plays.
link

People can say he looks bad, but he doesn’t to me! I would be very surprised if he is not an above average 1Bman this year, and extremely surprised if he’s not in the next few years.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 30, 2008 2:36 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

what statistic do you look for for digs?

Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.

by mrrickyg on Apr 30, 2008 2:46 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

because ZR is for fielded balls

and digging > ZR for 1b, right?

Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.

by mrrickyg on Apr 30, 2008 2:47 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

or if not >, at least a huge component

Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.

by mrrickyg on Apr 30, 2008 2:49 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

There's nothing worthwhile that breaks it down like that; these just look at

plays made whatever the type. The best 3 fielding metrics are 1)UZR (only occasionally released); 2)Dewan’s +/- (not free); 3)PMR (Doesn’t update during the season).

RZR and ZR are basically plays made divided by balls in your zone, but their accuracy is questionable especially in the small sample size that is a month into the season. If you just eyeball those lists, though, they match up pretty well to expectations/CW.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 30, 2008 2:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

But they only measure

plays on batted balls. He’s talking about handling throws from fielders.

I guess your thought is that Barton is likely to improve greatly in that regard since he’s still young and hasn’t been playing 1B for very long?

"Tomorrow it may rain." - Leo Durocher

by andeux on Apr 30, 2008 3:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

oops, yeah, misunderstood what digs was

And that’s obviously a huge part of 1B. My thought on that is: 1)Yes, he is likely to improve since he hasn’t been playing that long; and 2)I’m not sure that he’s actually bad at it right now. I can only remember him missing one (the Crosby error against Seattle), but probably he’s had a couple others. He also hasn’t particularly impressed me in that regard so far (whereas he has impressed me fielding GBs). I really have no clue how good he is at it right now. If I had to guess, I’d say “slightly below average.”

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on Apr 30, 2008 3:17 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

DIGS

Defensively Incompetent Goofy Shit

Cust leads the league in DIGS.

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 30, 2008 4:35 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

well he's frying panned a few grounders/line drives too

but recovered. i suppose that’s common for many first basemen though. i’ll try to stay optimistic for improvement, i’m just going by basically the impression i got reading about him all the way up to the majors that no matter where they played him, the balls bounced off his glove. i have no doubt he’ll become “serviceable” at some point, whether thats slightly below average, average, or slightly above average who knows. i guess 1B is an easy enough position that a guy like him, with enough reps could become great. but the dropping popups thing, i mean is that something that really improves all that much in the pros? shagging flies goes back to little league, and i have a hard time thinking that someone has just been “unlucky”.

Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.

by mrrickyg on Apr 30, 2008 4:58 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

It's more Sexson-esque, I think

Carter is such a big dude that he’s just not able to field balls very well.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Apr 30, 2008 4:02 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

apart from the roster space?

OK, so andeux finally convinced me to give up my 23rd-25th-man obsession—just in time for the one year when the A’s really do need comprehensive utility and flexibility 1-25.

Yes, MSweeney’s been a paragon of virtue in his public statements (and in the clubhouse, by all accounts), but unless his recent power blip is for real, he (or Cust, or Lil’ Sweeney, or Buck, or Emil, or Frank) needs to go. There’s no rush, but I’m sure Beane and Forst have their algorithms humming.

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 29, 2008 12:20 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Was it the not posting for a couple of weeks that proved persuasive?

While I do tend to think that in the grand scheme of things the last couple of players on the roster aren’t that important, I also like to see those spots used on players whose skill sets somehow complement those of the starters – defensive substitutes for good hitters with poor gloves, potential platoon partners, or just players with enough defensive flexibility to back up multiple positions.

From that point of view, the current roster is certainly not ideal, as Barton, M. Sweeney, Thomas and Cust each plays one or fewer defensive positions. Meanwhile we have only one backup infielder (whichever of Murphy and Hannahan isn’t starting) and 11 pitchers. Ryan Sweeney probably gets sent down when Buck is ready to return, and they can probably keep up the Braden/DiNardo/Saarloos juggling act with the pitching staff for a while longer, but longer term I agree that one of the DH types will probably need to go.

"Tomorrow it may rain." - Leo Durocher

by andeux on Apr 29, 2008 1:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

eh, I conceded that point a year or two ago

And what did we do once we discovered a rift in the fourth dimension? We launched a monkey into it. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Apr 29, 2008 1:58 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I haven't a clue on how to look up stats....

so can anyone tell me where the A’s stand in relation to the rest of the league for runners LOB?

"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer

by alox on Apr 29, 2008 12:08 PM PDT   0 recs

when I got home from work yesterday

I had mail addressed to me from “the Boston Red Sox”.

They addressed the letter as “Dea Red Sox fan”...and proceeded t otry to sell me XM radio service to be able to follow the Sux and Sux Nation.

Now, I know this was a mass mailing. I also realize that I’m on the mailing list for both the A’s and MLB. But I wonder if the Sux get access to all of MLB’s mailing lists (I have never received any mailings from any other club, except from the A’s—I am a season ticket holder).

it certainly did not please me to get mail addressed to me as a presumptive Sux fan.

anybody else receive this?

by OaklandSi on Apr 29, 2008 12:18 PM PDT   0 recs

typo in there

It was mailed out immediately after the Rays’ sweep. It was supposed to read “Dead Red Sox fan …”